Apparatus for increasing the fluidity of cheese



y 1935. E. SUTTER 2,006,876

- APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE FLUIDITY OF CHEESE Filed May 18, 1931 2.; I 4 12 i 20 26 D Patented July 2, 1935 v r I I I .-APPA ATUS.E IN BEASI-N TH LUI IT OF RCHEESE 1 The invention; relatesjto aprocessand appae '5 The socle linto which the control shaft {of ratusjfor moulding cheese or the like; V the machine penetrates, contains gears Band l Several processes. and. apparatusesare known actuated by the shaft ijand'intended'ior theconto be applicable tothe-productionof cheese in trol ofythe'mixing means and ofthemeans for .13 bxes, bywhich;steam isv put in..direct.contact charging the. machine A duct '8 surrounding ,5 with thecheese'inithe masszor serves inanother the socle I-is intended to receivewastefwater; or V manner for the heating thereof. After the-mass other wet products .which may escape from the istreated,itlis'remotedifrom th'eapparatus; after framez' I '1- i I having remained'tlire forasufficiently long time The frame 2 contains a-=sleeve',9 divided inter-t for it to be entirely melted, with the result'that nally; into five chambers 1H),. H, l2,';i3 and HLby 10 during this process apart of-it is thusoverheated. plates I 5-, l6; -l1:and l3: Two'of th'eseplates are This overheating, howeven coupled'with the fact represent'e'd'in Figures-3 andAJ They. are pro that-the productionisdiscontinuous isinot. devi'ded-xiwith central apertures through which sir'abl'ef passes the shaft i9 controlling-the mixing de 51 Continuous'ly workin g apparatuses are" also vices 20,'and with azseri'e's of ap'erturesztor fl knbWnpWherein-themass isforced'iIi under presa concentric in relation-to thei shafti l9':and insure, for example, by meansof pumps provided tended forithepassagev or the melting iniass. with gearing throughfiucts of .va'rying" shapes Tubes 23, 24, 25, 26 and 2'! serve to conduc the r and heated to difierenttemperatures. Eirpee steaminto the chambersg which steam heats the r'i'ence has, however, shown that'the use of such mass whilst-'being absorbed by it.

comparatively violent methods" may also have a The hopper" 3' ontains a screw 28i intended bad effect on thep'roduc't obtained. :L for the chargingof the=first chamber H3,- which Ano'ther defect inherentin various apparatus screw for'ces downwards the mass introduced into "already known resides in the factthat the reguthe hopper. Gearing 29, 30 sets the screw 28 into latiofiof'the feed.- takes place by Varying the disiriotioh thiollgh thezifiedium 0f theshaft 3'! dlS-. 25

charge 'of the mass; Thi's'res'ults'in momentary posed externally in relationtothe'sleevee.

aeusmianons alsocapable or giving rise to over Around the toothedwheel 29 of the aforesaid heating. a H a I -11; 'gai'itig'sapluralitypf'apertures 32 are arranged m he" ocess'according to the present invenfor the'pass'age fro'rh the-hopperto-the'first cliam tion, the mass is passed uninterruptedly through her IU of the mass to be treated. A lunette 33 30 several heated chambers and the heating of these represented in Figure 2, has apertures 34 correchambers and the admission of the mass in the sponding to the apertures 32 of the toothed wheel first chamber is so regulated that in passing from 29 on which toothed wheel it is placed. Owing one chamber to the other the mass is gradually to this, when slightly turning the lunette 33 35 melted in order that it may be in a condition to through the medium of a lever arm 35 and the 35 flow freely out of the last chamber. oscillating bar 36, the size of the passage offered In a suitable arrangement according to the by the apertures 32 and 34 to the mass propelled invention the apparatus comprises a series of by the screw 28 of the hopper 3 may be regulated. heated chambers, interconnected by apertures Finally, at the base of the apparatus a gutter the size and number of which are suited to the 31 is provided for the flowing off of the melted 40 degree of fluidity of the mass before passing mass. through them, and means intended to regulate The apparatus described works as fo1lows: the heating as well as the admission of the mass, By the shaft 4 being put in motion, the mixall of which has the object of effecting a grading means 2b, as also the screw 23 are operated ual and continuous heating of the mass. thereby. Steam is projected through the pipes 45 In order that the invention may be fully under 23, 24, 25, 2B and 21, into the chambers In, H, stood it willnow be described with reference to l2, I3 and I4 respectively, the pipes being for the accompanying drawing by way of example in this object connected to a steam generator by which:- conduits provided with regulating means. Such- 0 Figure 1 is an elevation oi the apparatus in regulating means could also however be provided axial section, and on the pipes themselves. In addition to this, it

Figures 2 to 4 show details of the apparatus. is well to interpose steam filters between the pipes The apparatus as shown in Figure 1 is princiand the steam generator. V V V pally composed of a socle I upon which is mount- The mass to be treated is now poured into th ed a frame 2, surmounted by a hopper 3. hopper 3, propelled by'the screw 23 and conducted 55 I 1 through the apertures 32, 34, which must be made to coincide, into the first chamber II). There, it is heated by contact with the steam which it absorbs and is thereby softened. The mixing means 20 of this first chamber l propels the softened mass to a point above the apertures of the plate l5, so that it falls into the following chamber II. In this chamber, the mass is once again heated, and will consequently again become more fluid and, propelled by the mixing means 20, it will fall through the aperture of the plate l6 into the chamber l2.

The functions described are thus repeated from chamber to chamber and the fluidity of the mass accordingly becomes greater as the mass passes through the apparatus, so that, finally, it is in a condition to fiow oil through the gutter 3! into the moulds, packing receptacles, etc., intended to receive it.

In order to ensure regular and continuous movement of the mass through the apparatus, it will be suflicient to adapt the size and number of the apertures of the plates I5, l6, l1 and I8 separating the chambers one from the other relative to the degree of fluidity acquired by the mass during its displacement. In the same manner, the supply of steam from the pipes 23, 24, 25, 26 and 21, (the last of which 21 or the last two 26 and 21, may in certain cases be left inactive), will be regulated. These various regulations can, of course, only be determined in operation.

The supply of the mass to the apparatus can be regulated by displacement of the lunette 33 which will preferably be provided with a stop preventing the complete closing of the apertures 32, the object of which is to prevent the screw'28 working the mass without this latter being enabled to advance.

As may be seen, the apparatus according to the invention realizes a gradual and continuous heating of the mass, without the latter being able to accumulate at any point of its course through the apparatus and to be overheated for this reason or any other.

It is evident that, although the apparatus as shown in the drawing'works in a vertical position, which is simpler, there is no obstacle to its working'in a horizontal position, if mixing means in the form of screws or propellers intended to feed the mass through the machine are provided.

It is evident, also, that the heating by steam in the manner described, may be replaced by steam-heating by coils, by heating by water and in a general manner by any adequate heating means.

Finally, and as stated by the title of the invention, the process and the apparatus described may be applied to any mass before undergoing a treatment similar to that of cheese, with which latter the invention is however more particularly applicable.

The number of chambers of the apparatus according to the invention may be any such as is desired and is not restricted by that of the example shown.

The introduction of the mass into the apparatus has been represented as being in an axial direction in relation to this latter, but it is evident that the mass could be introduced radially, that is to say through the side of the first chamber.

The plates l5, I6, I! and I8 separating the chambers one from the other, have been assumed to be fixed, but could also be enabled to have a rotary movement, for example in either the same or the direction inverse to that of the mixing means.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-

Apparatus for increasing the fluidity of a plastic mass, comprising a vertically disposed housing, a cylindrical casing inside the housing having a plurality of superimposed chambers with perforated floors, a helical screw in connection with one end of the casing for feeding the mass into the adjacent chamber, a propelling shaft in the casing in coincidence with the axis of the casing for forcing the mass as it reaches a high degree of plasticity into the next succeeding chamber, a parallel shaft intermediate the housing and the casing in connection with the propelling shaft for actuating saidpropelling shaft, and conduits disposed in the upper part of each chamber for variably and regulably supplying heat to the plastic mass in its movement toward the opposite end of the casing. Y

, ERNST SUTTER. 

